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TPG: 10 things I miss about flying

Brian Kelly
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Brian Kelly is the CEO of The Points Guy. Need I say more?
May 17, 2020
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5 min read
(Photo by Wyatt Smith / The Points Guy)
TPG: 10 things I miss about flying
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As someone who usually flies 250,000+ miles and hasn't been on plane since March 1 due to coronavirus, these last two months being grounded have me itching to get back in the air, just like everyone else here at TPG.

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While I'm using this time to continue to rack up points and miles for and plan my next trip, I've also been thinking about the little things — even the usually annoying things! — I miss about being in an airport right now.

Here are 10 aspects of life on the road I'll welcome with open arms once the time comes.

1. The unmistakable smell of Auntie Anne's pretzels wafting through the terminal.

You know the smell. (Photo credit: Melanie Lieberman, The Points Guy)


2. The frantic last-call boarding announcements for the person *still drinking* at the airport Chili's, about to miss their flight to Cancun.

Ready to be back on the beach of the Ritz Carlton Cancun. (Photo by Zach Griff / The Points Guy)

Read more: 25 Years Too Old: A Review of The Ritz-Carlton, Cancun

3. The head-to-toe, rubber-gloved TSA pat down.

It's been so long. (Featured photo by Bob Riha, Jr./Getty Images)

4. The feeling of daggers in my back as I jump to the front of the TSA PreCheck line thanks to my CLEAR status.

When it's time to head back to the airport, avoid long security lines by signing up for expedited security programs such as TSA PreCheck or CLEAR. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Read more: Should you get TSA PreCheck or CLEAR — or both?

5. The excitement of walking onto a plane with delusions of grandeur, thinking your seatmate is going to be your soul mate — but it's usually just another tired business traveler.

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6. Trying to find the Uber driver — "Are you in the inside lane or the outer lane?!" — and time it *exactly right* to minimize time outside.

We still don't miss LAX-it though. (Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

7. Shopping at Hudson News, trying to find a healthy but delicious snack and coming up empty once again — and just going with mesquite barbecue deep fried potato chips.

We never thought we'd see the day... yet here we are. (Photo by: Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

8. Waiting in endless Starbucks lines, wishing they had mobile ordering in airports.

When you gotta go, you gotta go — catch a plane, that is. Photo by Jeffrey Greenberg/UIG via Getty Images

Read more: The best credit cards to use at Starbucks

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9. Eating nuts on a plane as if they are the most exclusive delicacy in the world — even when I don't really like nuts, but they just taste better warm on a plane.

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10. Feeling like Norm from "Cheers" walking into a Centurion Lounge, seeing the friendly check-in agents and countless TPG readers, and knowing I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be.

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Want more of Brian's thoughts on travel, points and miles, and much more? Sign up for TPG's new weekly newsletter written by Brian Kelly.

What weird things do you miss most about being in an airport? Let us know in the comments.

Featured image by (Photo by Wyatt Smith / The Points Guy)